A Matter of Trust
by JennyLD
Summary: Just how much does Chloe trust Lex?


**Spoiler(s):** None  
**Disclaimer:** Smallville stole my soul from Doctor Who. Unfortunately, it didn't come with any rights of ownership.  
**Author's Note:** Thanks to Sinecure for the beta and the first paragraph, which served as my prompt.

* * *

"Wait, you mean to tell me you went to a bondage club and all you got was this crappy t-shirt?" Chloe fingered the white cotton, eyeing the two red stick figures on it, complete with stick figure whip.

Lois grinned. "It's not the only thing I got. It's just the only one safe to share around innocent ears."

Clark gave the two of them a confused look before his cheeks took on a pinkish hue. Chloe snorted, unable to hold back her growing laughter.

His face grew even redder. "I, ah..."

"Don't sweat it, Smallville," Lois snickered, slapping him on the back. "You're secret's safe with us."

"Yeah, Clark," Chloe managed between giggles. "My next byline won't be at the expense of your-"

"Naiveté?" Lois supplied with a smirk.

Chloe tried to reign in her amusement, but the dazed, uncomfortable expression on Clark's face as he looked from her to Lois wasn't helping any.

"I'm gonna go check on Lana...or something," he muttered, making a hasty retreat out of the room, the screen door banging shut behind him.

Taking a few deep breaths, Chloe got herself under control and turned back to her cousin. As hilarious as Clark's innocence was sometimes, there were more important matters at hand.

"So," she said casually, "in between all of your extracurricular activities, did you manage to catch any of Metropolis' elite in any compromising positions?" It was a fine line she had to walk, posing the right question without revealing exactly what she wanted to know.

_Who_ she wanted to know about.

But Lois was completely oblivious and began rummaging around in her purse. "I did run into a certain millionaire we all love to hate with a couple of simpering brunettes."

Chloe caught her breath and waited while Lois pulled her cell phone out and flipped it open. After pushing a few buttons, she held it out for Chloe to see.

"He doesn't really ever veer from his tried and true cliché, does he?"

On the screen was a picture of Lex, immaculately dressed, with an arm around an obviously sloshed brunette, while whispering in the ear of a young debutant. Chloe recognized both of them from the gossip pages.

Her hands tightened into fists.

"So a little S&M floats Lex's boat," she managed, trying to feign nonchalance. "Not surprising I guess."

"Actually," Lois snapped her phone shut, giving Chloe an odd look, "not only did he not get his inner cowboy on, I didn't see him doing anything more risqué than helping the bimbo lightweights to the bathroom before they tossed it all over the dance floor."

Something inside Chloe's chest loosened a little, but she wasn't quite that naïve herself anymore. "Oh, please, Lois, this is Lex Luthor we're talking about. You can't expect me to believe that he behaved like a perfect gentleman the whole night?"

"As hard as it is for _me_ to believe? Yeah."

"So, all he did was make polite small-talk with two attractive women who would've ridden the billionaire rails at a moment's notice?" She wanted to believe it was true, she really did. But Lex wasn't Clark, and the need to make things crystal clear was stronger than the fear that her questioning might arouse Lois' suspicions.

Lois leaned back against the sink, arms crossing over her chest. "As much as it pains me to say this, Lex was the perfect picture of an upstanding citizen. Even called them a cab when they got a little too frisky."

Chloe felt a warmth spreading through her. Lex had had the freedom to do whatever he wanted last night, and hadn't. It was almost too much to handle and she felt the sting of tears welling up in her eyes.

* * *

"Do you trust me?"

Chloe didn't answer, just stared up at Lex with a look he hadn't seen in years. Not since the day she'd shared what she had on his father, said she'd testify in court if only he would protect her.

That was all the answer he needed.

Leaning down, he pressed his mouth to hers with a sigh of relief. Felt her opening beneath him, her tongue skittering restlessly against his lips.

The last few days things had been tense between them. Ever since Parker Donahue from Luthorcorp's London office had requested a change in venue for their annual meeting, indicating an interest in a local gentlemen's club. Lex hadn't expected Chloe to take the news so poorly, but he supposed the thought should have crossed his mind.

She'd been nervous, though he had never had any intention of availing himself of the club's clientele. But their relationship was rocky at the best of times, and there were still far too many trust issues between them for any sort of stability.

With his history...

For whatever reason though, he knew she believed him now. And that was all that mattered.

She was his, fully and completely. Trusting him in ways he'd never imagined. It was enough to make him harden considerably.

Pulling back far enough to look down at her, sprawled out naked on his bed, he asked, "How about we see just how far that trust goes?"

Chloe grinned at him, tugging slightly on the restraints that were binding her arms to his bed. "What did you have in mind?"


End file.
